Belgium - Small WW2 Group - Missing Civic Crosses

[oamotme]

Gentlemen,

Whilst I specialize in Arabic awards a friend, knowing of my interest in medals, some years ago gave me his late grandfather's medals:

• Order of Leopold II Medal 1st Class 'Gold'.
• 1940-45 Commemorative Medal.
• 1940-45 Resistance Medal.

In addition to these medals, all in lovely condition, in their, cardboard boxes, there were two ribbon bars, noting his full entitlement, which also includes, now missing, I think, two Civic Crosses or Medals.  Could I ask if, from the ribbons and devices, the actual awards can be identified? I would like to obtain examples to make up the set.

Thank you for your assistance,

Kind regards,

Owain 

 

[Laurence Strong]

I would say the silver medal and silver cross form what I can see......

 

 

Cheers

Larry

[oamotme]

Larry, Thanks. Looking at the order of precedence on the ribbon bars - with gilt and silver devices, would a gold medal come before a silver cross? Or perhaps he received firstly a silver medal and then a gold medal. Would the rank of the Order of Leopold II medal indicate that his Civic awards were also medals and not crosses? Kind regards, Owain 

[oamotme]

Gentlemen,

To add some substance to what are, without context, only piece of metal......

Owain

“My grandfather, Victor Vaillant lived in Arvil, tiny village in eastern Belgium. He was owner of a small contracting business and had 6 children.

 

When the German invaded Belgium, he was already recalled to the Belgian army. After several days of fierce battle, the Belgian army was totally overwhelmed and my grand-father along with his mates were made prisoner and kept in Germany for a while, then released. But he soon was enrolled by the German and sent to the STO (compulsory work service) in Eastern Germany.

 

There he sustained an accident on duty over his right hand (he was right handed). The wound became infected and he lost a great deal of usage of his hand. He also contracted (I believe) a bronchopneumonia during that period which left him slightly short of breath for the rest of his life. He was freed by the allied at the end of the war and could return home after several years of semi-captivity.

 

Having been at war, made prisoner and his injury in captivity being recognised as a war invalidity he was rewarded for that. But I do not have the details of these rewards. Hence the medals in your possession.

 

Of interest, like many war prisoners, he was not the same man anymore! The business left behind during most of the war went bankrupt (although a great demand for reconstruction). This is how the whole family migrated to Liège, when my father was 17 years old.”

 

[Laurence Strong]

Medals come before in cross in terms of being awarded.

The Gold Leo II medal is Awarded after 20 years of meritorious service to a non-commissioned officer (9 years for non-commissioned officers member of the flying personnel), and after 25 years of service for a private or corporal.

The long service medal was issued for 25 years of service with Gold going to higher ranks, and the cross for 35 years service.

 

Unless I am greatly mistaken this is fellow member Tachel's page on the "Civil decoration for Long Service in the Administration of Leopold l:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_Decoration

 

I was assuming - horrible word - that both devices were silver, and that one was a cross! Old eyes and a small fuzzy piccies makes it hard.

 

Cheers

Larry

[oamotme]

Larry,

Does this mean that a recipient could only have the silver or gold medal or could one progress from one to the other and retain both? I am assuming one couldn't go from silver medal to gold cross??

The other dilemma to consider is whether the medals are the Leopold  (1934-51) or Badouin (1951-93) - I suspect the latter but there is probably no way of finding out for certain.

Regards,

Owain

[Laurence Strong]

They are rank dependent from what I know. And IIRC you can wear all medals issued, regardless if one supercedes another or not.

 

If you know what year he started his service and tack on 25 and 35 years, you could get a rough idea of what year they would have been issued.......

 

 

Cheers

Larry

[oamotme]

Larry,

Noted - I'll now try and obtain decent exampes of both the gold and silver civic medals. Do you know if the design changed with each monarch?

Regards,

Owain

[Laurence Strong]

Hello Owain

 

To the best of my knowledge they did not chage in design.

 

 

Cheers

Larry

[oamotme]

Larry, Many thanks for your advice, Kind regards, Owain